SAN DIMAS (1-29) – The Banana Slugs completed their two-game road trip as they took on USCAA member California Miramar University at Life Pacific College in San Dimas. The Banana Slugs outscored the Fighting Falcons by thirteen in the second half and won 72-56. 

Both teams lost their last game. The Banana Slugs lost 58-53 to NAIA member UC Merced at Kaiser Permanente Arena on Tuesday while the Fighting Falcons lost 84-53 to Bethesda University of California on Wednesday in San Dimas.

In the first half, the Fighting Falcons would score the first basket of the ballgame at two on a Steven Adams layup with 18:41 left in the half. The two point lead by the Fighting Falcons was reached again, at 6-4, on a Jishauwn Randle layup with 15:11 left in the half. The Banana Slugs would take the lead, at 8-6, on a Adam Marlow layup with 14:05 left in the half. The Banana Slugs would gain their largest lead of the half at six on four occasions; the fourth occasion at 21-15 on a Will Crain layup with 5:41 left. The Fighting Falcons would come as close as one, at 23-22, on a Christian Mora three pointer with 3:08 left in the half. The Banana Slugs led 30-27 at the halftime intermission.

In the second half, the two teams would play back and forth basketball for the first four and a half minutes. The Fighting Falcons would take the lead at 36-34 on a AJ Mathis layup with 16:38 left. The Banana Slugs would go on a 7-2 spurt and would take the lead for good, at 41-38, on a Kyle Creighton three pointer with 14:26 left. The closest the Fighting Falcons would come would be one, at 41-40, on a pair of Randle free throws with 14:07 left. The Banana Slugs would take a double digit lead, at 56-46, on a Marlow jumper with 6:25 left. The Banana Slugs would take their largest lead of the ballgame at eighteen, at 71-53, on a Tre Weston free throw with fifty four seconds left. The Banana Slugs won 72-56 over the Fighting Falcons.

Marlow had a game high fourteen points to lead the Banana Slugs. Devin McDonough had a game high fourteen points for the Fighting Falcons. Tre Weston had twelve points and Matthew Nerland had nine points for the Banana Slugs in the win. Mathis had twelve and Mora had ten points for the Fighting Falcons.

The Banana Slugs shot 45.3% (24-53) from the field, 23.1% (3-13) from the three-point line and were 61.8% (21-34) from the free throw line. The Fighting Falcons shot 46% (23-50) from the field, 37.5% (6-16) from the three-point line and 57.1% (4-7) from the foul line. UC Santa Cruz's defense forced seventeen turnovers by the Fighting Falcons scoring twenty points off the turnovers while the Fighting Falcons' defense forced twelve turnovers by UC Santa Cruz scoring ten points off the turnovers. UC Santa Cruz outrebounded California Miramar 37-33 and the Banana Slugs had ten more points off turnovers (20-10) than did the Fighting Falcons.

The Banana Slugs will finish their road schedule on Monday as they take on Life Pacific College at 4 pm in San Dimas.